The Ninth Circuit Ruling On Thursday afternoon, the motions panel of the Ninth Circuit issued an opinion that kept in place the Temporary Restraining Order… Read More »Blog No. 128 In the Ninth Circuit a Ruling and in Washington the Theatre of the Absurd
The unusual behavior of Donald Trump during the campaign, following the election, and in recent days, has generated considerable comment focusing on his mental health.… Read More »Blog No. 127 The Madness of King Donald
Last weekend, beginning on Friday, provided ample opportunity for Trump watching. For many, however, Trump’s demagoguery, insufferable self-absorption and indifference to the truth made it… Read More »Blog No. 126 Trump: Down the Rabbit Hole With Humpty Trumpty
The last blog, No. 124, discussed Donald Trump’s curious and troubling relationship with Vladimir Putin and Russia. I noted that a reporter had asked Trump… Read More »Blog No. 125. Trump: Tax Returns, Russia and Moving On
Much of Donald Trump’s press conference and the attendant media commentary were taken up with the controversy over a dossier of memoranda that purported to… Read More »Blog No. 124. Trump and Russia (and questions not asked)
After Trump’s well-publicized meeting on Friday with the head of the CIA, John Brennan, and of the FBI, James Comey, and the Director of National… Read More »Blog No. 123 Trump v. Trump v. the Intelligence Community.
The conflict between Israel and the Palestinians has bedeviled not only the parties but successive American presidents and diplomats for decades. Occasional signs of progress… Read More »Blog No. 122. The Riddle of Israel and the Palestinians.
Christmas 2016 arrives in the wake of the heartbreaking tragedy of Aleppo and the vicious attack on the Christmas Market in Berlin. We are very… Read More »Christmas 2016: A Carol for Children
A November 9 story in the Washington Post reported a CIA assessment that Russian hacking of Democratic computers was intended to defeat Hillary Clinton and elect Donald Trump. Disclosure of the assessment, which had been given to Congressional leaders behind closed doors, produced a considerable uproar. The intelligence community had on October 7, issued a statement accusing the Russians of hacking in order to interfere with the American election, but the attribution of a specific motive added a new and explosive layer to the matter.
Read More »Blog No. 121. Russian Hacking: The Trout in the Milk
On Monday, the New York Times reported that House leaders had pushed back against President-Elect Trump’s plan to impose a 35% tariff on companies that relocate jobs overseas. The report was the first sign–and a welcome one–of any willingness on the part of Congressional Republicans to stand up for traditional Republican principles in dealing with Trump. The threat of a 35% increase had been at the heart of Trump’s much-heralded deal with the Carrier Corporation and its parent, United Technologies (UT), but it carried a clear risk of sparking a trade war that could seriously damage the American economy.Read More »Blog No. 120. The Bully in the Pulpit and The Carrier Coup.